101 Ways to Make Studying Easier and Faster For High School Students: What Every Student Needs to Know Explained Simply

101 Ways to Make Studying Easier and Faster for High School Students

What Every Student Needs to Know Explained Simply

By Janet Engel

101 Ways to Make Studying Easier and Faster for High School Students: What Every Student Needs to Know Explained Simply

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ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-217-7

ISBN-10: 1-60138-217-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Engle, Janet.

101 ways to make studying easier and faster for high school students : what every student needs to know explained simply / by Janet Engle.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-217-7 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-60138-217-0 (alk. paper)

1. Study skills--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. High school students--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. II. Title: One hundred one ways to make studying easier and faster for high school students. III. Title: One hundred and one ways to make studying easier and faster for high school students.

LB1601.E54 2008

373.13’0281--dc22

2008023670

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Study Easier & Faster

Chapter 2: Make Time to Study

Chapter 3: Find Your Learning Style

Chapter 4: Create Your Study Space

Chapter 5: Read Fast & Read Well

Chapter 6: Taming Long-Term Assignments

Chapter 7: Conquer Your Demons

Chapter 8: Make Class Time Count

Chapter 9: Foreign Language Study Tips

Chapter 10: Mathematics Study Tips

Chapter 11: Language Arts Study Tips

Chapter 12: History Study Tips

Chapter 13: Science Study Tips

Chapter 14: Cramming

Chapter 15: Exams & Standardized Tests

Conclusion

Bibliography

Author Dedication & Biography

Introduction

The teenage years are often referred to as the best time of your life — frequently by adults who graduated too long ago to remember what high school is truly like.

In addition to being a chance to experiment with identities, branch out socially, and learn new skills and ideas, high school can be stressful and exhausting. Students may be expected to juggle school, work, extra-curricular activities, after-school jobs, and household chores, but they are seldom given the tools they need for success.

When I was in high school, I managed to get good grades despite horrible study habits. Some late nights at the dinner table and early mornings at the school library, combined with a natural talent for quick memorization, were sufficient for most tests and assignments. When semester exams rolled around, though, I would realize just how little I had truly learned during those haphazard study sessions. I always felt as if I was looking at the material for the first time, and my exam grades would reflect that I had never mastered the concepts.

Projects and term papers were equally unsuited to my cram the night before study technique. Luckily for my report card, my teachers stopped assigning long-term homework around my sophomore year. Maybe they were as tired of grading half-completed, poorly-organized work as my classmates and I were of doing it.

My poor time-management and study habits did not become real problems until I started college. Between lectures, laboratories, and readings, I had to learn more information than I could possibly memorize in one night. Most of my classmates seemed much more skilled at keeping on top of their work, and the professors did not share my high school teachers’ avoidance of long-term assignments.

I had to learn how to study, so I took every time-management and study-skills workshop I could find. Because I had to manage a full class load and a part-time job, I quickly figured out which techniques gave the best results in the least amount of time.

The ability to study does not come naturally to all students. If you have been making good grades by cramming the nights before your tests, you may wonder why you should take the time to change your habits. If you spend hours each night with your textbooks but do not make the grades you want, you may wonder if there is any hope.

The techniques in this book can help you. The tips will help you categorize your tasks in order of importance, organize your work area, and complete more schoolwork in less time:

By learning how to study more efficiently and effectively, you will be able to manage your responsibilities with less stress.

High school can be the best years of your life. The study and time management skills you develop now will help you prepare for success in college and throughout your career.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Study Easier & Faster

Unless you recognize the long-term consequences of your academic performance in high school, you may find it difficult to put in the time and effort needed to succeed.

The grades you make now can shape your life in many ways. States and schools may set eligibility requirements for participating in sports and other extracurricular activities. If your grade point average drops too low, you may not be able to pay basketball, try out for the spring musical, or represent your school at the next art show.

Some localities do not allow students to hold summer or after-school jobs if their grades fall below a certain level. Even if you meet the minimum requirements, employers may be hesitant to hire students who have trouble managing their class work. If you rely on employment to pay for a car, spending money, or to help your family, low grades can limit your earning potential.

Colleges look at high-school transcripts to determine which students they will accept. Once you are accepted at a school, low grades in high school may prevent you from enrolling in advanced classes, declaring a major, participating in a sport, or receiving financial aid.

Barriers to Effective Studying

The grades you receive in high school can influence your life long after you receive a report card. Even after you graduate, grades can still have an impact on your life. With so much on the line, why do some students receive lower grades than they want?

Not Enough Hours in the Day

Between work, after-school activities, family responsibilities, and socializing, students may believe they do not have the time to complete assignments and master information. Students may fit a few minutes of studying in between other commitments, cram for tests at the last minute, or decide to skip an assignment altogether rather than do a bad job on it.

Poor Concentration

After they have carved out a block of study time and sit down with their notes and textbooks, some students find it difficult to stay on task. They may spend their study session staring out the window, adjusting the thermostat, or doodling in their notebook.

Low Motivation

For some students, the hardest part of studying is getting started. Even if they recognize the importance of good grades, they find it hard to turn off the television and crack open the books. They may rationalize that they are too busy to fit it into their schedules.

The Need to Be Perfect

Some students sabotage their own study efforts by trying to make everything just right. These students may spend more time organizing their math notebook than doing math problems. They may expend so much energy choosing the perfect cover, font, and layout for their English term paper that they are too exhausted to truly research and write the paper.

Studying the Wrong Things

If your grades do not reflect the hours you spend in focused study, you may be studying the wrong information. Instead of making more time to work, you may need to take the time to learn better study techniques.

Break through the Barriers

If one or more of the above obstacles is keeping you from academic success, you have the power to break down those barriers, learn to study efficiently and effectively, and per your grades.

If you have trouble fitting study time into your schedule, the tips in this book can help you improve your time-management skills and help you learn to get more work finished in less time. If you find it difficult to ignore the view outside your window, the paperback in your backpack, or the reruns on television, this book can help you discover ways to focus and make the most of each study session. If low motivation is causing low grades, this book can show you how to set intermediate goals, reward yourself for progress, and plan study sessions that are fast, fun, and easy. If you find yourself unable to study because your desk accessories are not color-coordinated, you will find tips that help you learn to control your perfectionism. If you always seem to study the wrong things, the techniques described can help you recognize what sections of your textbook you should focus on, and what you can safely ignore.

Basic Studying Tips

You may not be able to change your study habits overnight, but by using the tips in this book, you should see progress over the course of the next semester.

Tip 1: Devote 15 minutes every day to improving your study skills or preparing to study.

Fifteen minutes is enough time to make progress, but not so long that it becomes another cause of stress in your busy life. A quarter of an hour may not sound like much time, but it should be enough to do at least one of these tasks:

Read a few pages of this book.

Review your calendar.

Clear old papers from your desk.

Restock your pencil jar.

File the day’s papers.

Make a to-do list for the evening’s study session.

Organize your bookcase.

Vacuum and dust your work area.

Take a short walk to clear your mind.

Change into comfortable clothing.

Reflect on study changes you have already made.

Forming good study habits is a big project, but this technique breaks it into manageable chunks. You can also apply this tip to other large projects, such as:

Researching a term paper

Reading a novel

Memorizing a foreign language vocabulary list

Learning a difficult piece of music

Creating a work area

Preparing for final exams

The trick here is to commit to 15 minutes, and no more than 15 minutes, every single day.

Tip 2: Concentrate on the goal, not the process.

Decide what you want to gain from your study time. Your goals may include:

Earning better grades

Mastering information instead of just learning it for tests

Studying more efficiently

Preparing for standardized tests

Practicing skills introduced in class

Completing assignments on time and to the best of your ability

The tips in this book, combined with focus and steady work, can help you reach your academic goals. The key to success is to remember your long-term objectives. Make sure the work you do every day targets your goals. Do not allow yourself to get sidetracked by the process of studying. The purpose of each session should be to study as effectively as possible, not to impress people with your overly packed calendar, sound like a martyr when you complain about how long you studied for a test, create the most high-tech workspace, or have an excuse not to do chores.

Tip 3: Have a daily plan.

Keep a running list of what you have to do every day. Having a daily plan will help you remember small tasks, and it can help you stay motivated and focused. Even if you only have five or 10 minutes between classes or before basketball practice, odds are there is something on your list you can do. Cross off each task as it is completed, and by the end of the day, you will see just how much you have accomplished.

You can keep your to-do list on a scrap sheet of paper, but a small spiral notebook that can slip into your backpack or binder is less likely to be lost and will let you review your progress. Use a paperclip to mark your place so that you can turn to the current page quickly whenever you need to make an entry.

Tip 4: Minimize surprises.

Cramming is one of the least effective ways to study. Reduce the need to pull all-nighters by writing deadlines and test dates on a yearly wall calendar. Hang the calendar in a conspicuous place.

Refer to your calendar before you go to school every morning and again when you get home. Do not fill this calendar with motivational quotes, daily assignments, or doodles. Those can go on your daily to-do list. Keep this calendar efficient and effective. At a glance, you should be able to see if any presentations, exams, papers, or projects are approaching.

Write exam dates and deadlines for long-term projects on your wall calendar as soon as possible. Homework due the next morning should not go on this calendar, but anything more than a day away should be included. If you are involved in any sports, clubs, or activities, use your calendar to keep track of competitions, tryouts, rehearsals, and meetings. In addition, use it to manage your social and personal obligations such as parties, doctors’ appointments, school holidays, and family gatherings.

Keeping a yearly calendar has several benefits, including:

More time: You will not waste time wondering why January 18 sounds familiar or flipping through your notebook to find out when your biology lab report is due.

Less double booking: You will know not to schedule a baby-sitting job on the same evening you have a soccer match.

Fewer papers to juggle: Whenever you are given a schedule for a class or activity, immediately transfer the information to your calendar and dispose of the extra paper.

Better coordination between multiple projects: If you know that All-State band auditions are the evening before your English term paper is due, you will know that you will have limited time to work on the paper at the last minute. The earlier you recognize a possible conflict, the more time you have to work out a solution.

More opportunities: If you notice a two-week block without any exams or events, you may decide to schedule a new activity or take advantage of the lull to get ahead on class readings or a major assignment.

Less stress: Because you know what is coming up, you will not have to worry about forgetting an exam or deadline. Being more relaxed will help you study more efficiently.

Tip 5: Take breaks.

Studying is hard work. You need more time to process and learn information if you are mentally fatigued. When you are well-rested, you are better able to understand difficult concepts, solve problems, and retain facts. Scheduling five minutes of break time for every 15 minutes you study can help you stay mentally sharp and ready to keep studying.

Try to change gears during your breaks. Let your brain relax a few minutes, but do not start anything that will take longer than the time you have allotted. During your break time, you may find it refreshing to:

Fix yourself a cup of tea.

Perform a set of yoga poses.

Arrange the supplies you will need to study the next subject.

Check your e-mail.

Brush your teeth.

Meditate.

Walk outside and breathe some fresh air.

Flip through a magazine.

Sharpen your pencil.

Eat a quick snack.

Pet a dog or cat.

These suggestions may not be good break-time choices for everyone. If you have to check your favorite blog and respond to a few posts on a message board each time you touch the computer, a quick e-mail check may turn into a half-hour spent playing on the Internet. Avoid any activities that you find hard to tear yourself away from. Activities that are likely to take longer than five minutes include:

Watching television

Preparing or eating a meal

Talking on the telephone

Returning text messages

Reading a book

Taking a walk

Napping

Cleaning

Doing laundry

Tweaking